The Ministry of Finance’s mid-year report for 2021 says that construction will start on a total of 20 hotels this year.
In its report released last week, the ministry said that the hotel industry is expected to receive a major boost with construction commencing for 20 new hotels. These hotels are expected to add an estimated 3,450 rooms, more than doubling the existing country-wide capacity.
“This has surpassed the initial target of six new hotels and an additional 1,000 rooms. Further, construction …commenced for five of these hotels during the first half of the year, while eight hotels should commence construction during the third quarter, and seven are anticipated in the fourth quarter”, the report said.
It said that after more than a year of varying degrees of travel restrictions, there is finally a glimmer of hope with the COVID-19 vaccine which signals that countries might slowly return to some semblance of normalcy.
“For the period January to June of this year, Guyana recorded a total of 62,374 visitor arrivals, representing an increase of 0.2 percent over the same period in 2020, recalling that the lockdown on world travel started to affect Guyana only towards the second quarter of 2020”, the report said.
It noted that the Guyana Tourism Authority, has directed its focus on supporting tourism businesses to reopen safely within the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health and the National COVID-19 Taskforce, and on marketing Destination Guyana as safe for travel.
This, the report said, involved the development of training programmes, technical support to refine standard operating procedures and inspection activities geared towards assuring and improving strict health and safety protocols.
To this end, the report said that a total of 190 persons received training under the Hygiene and Sanitation Programme, and 11 communities received donations of safety equipment and sanitizing supplies at a value of $6.5 million. Further, a total of 28 tourism businesses were licensed, and a total of 636 persons received training in the delivery of quality service at the end of the first half of the year.
In keeping with the domestic tourism thrust, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce hosted a ‘Snap n Share 55’ photography competition which was geared towards creating greater awareness of various locations across Guyana and to stimulate wider interest in visits to local destinations.
Approximately 190,000 persons participated in this event and over 250 submissions were made of which 55 were shortlisted for public voting.
It is also expected that there will be eight new tourism products developed and launched by the end of the second half of the year. The report said that these include: Warapoka Community Tourism Experience, Santa Aratak Community Tourism Experience, St. Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri Community Tourism Experience, Buxton Historical Tour/Cook-up Tour, Lake Capoey Community Tourism Experience, Paruima Community Tourism Experience and Karasabai Community Tourism Experience.
